US3096880A

US3096880A - Can carrier

Info

Publication number: US3096880A
Application number: US7427A
Authority: US
Inventors: Melville T Farquhar
Original assignee: Reynolds Metals Co
Current assignee: Reynolds Metals Co
Priority date: 1960-02-08
Filing date: 1960-02-08
Publication date: 1963-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1980-07-09

Description

July 9, 1963 M. 'r. FARQUHAR 3,096,830

CAN CARRIER Filed Feb. 8, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V r36 fig T [51$ 76 INVENTOR m7 MELVILLE T. FARQUHAR F |G.9 B

HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,096,880 CAN CARRIER Melville T. Farquhar, Bon Air, Va., assignor to Reynolds 'Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 7,427 13 Claims. (Cl. 206-65) This invention relates to a carrier for cans made from a single unitary carton blank.

A carrier according to this invention may be erected and closed around the cans without requiring the use of gluing equipment at the can packing establishment.

The carrier may be made as a glued tube at the carrier manufacturingestablishment and may be shipped as a fiat glued tube to the can packaging establishment. This eliminates buying and storing of glue and cleaning and maintenance of gluing equipment at the can packaging establishment. .Italso eliminates space requirements at the canpackaging establishment for compression chambers-tohold the carrier together while the glue sets.

The carrier lends itself to hand filling and closing of the cans, or to filling and closing of the cans by semiautomaticmachinery of varying degrees of automation.

Equipment now on the market or now in use for loading and gluing carriers can be easily modified to handle the carrier of this invention, and may be simplified over present equipment.

Considerable ,canarea is exposed at the corners of the carrier .for displayipurposes, allowing a considerablepart of the display on the cans to be visible at the corners of the carriers and to add to the attractiveness of the filled carton, and aiding in the advertising and identification of the; product.

The carrier of this invention is so constructed that one or' more ofthecanssm'ay be removed without rendering the" carrier useless for storing the remaining cans.

"Ihe'area of the blank for producing the carrier according to lthis invention isrelatively small and is so shaped that it may be .cutifrom a homogeneous sheet of material With-relatively large savings of scrap material.

'The net:area;.of :theblank is also relatively small and hencetthe weight of the carriers is relatively small when being shipped-for use to the can packaging establishment andthe like.

The blanks maybe cutout in staggered relationship fromrthe sheet of material with relatively large reduction inxthe amount of scrap produced.

The end-walls-gof the carrier are pulled in between the end can so.that interlocking, catching, and-tearingof the end wall is prevented and storage space is saved.

Accordingly, it is an object of this inventionto produce a CKIIQCBITIGI' having one or more of the foregoing features and; advantages.

Another object of this invention is to provide a glued and-foldedcartonlblank. or tube which may be unfolded andifilledwith cans without requiring the use of glue at the can packaging establishment.

Another object. of this-invention is to provide a method of making homogeneous blanks for producing cartons according to this invention.

:Otherobjects of this invention are apparent from this description. and. the. accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a portion of asheet of material from which carton blanks may be out according to this inven tion.

FIGURE 2 is an interior surface view of a carton blank according tocthis invention.

FIGURE 3 is aplan view of a flat glued and folded carton-blank or tube ready for transportation to the can packagingestablishment.

ice

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the carton blank of FIGURE 3 unfolded or erected for reception of the cans.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4, and showing two rows of cans inserted in the carrier with the end tabs at one end secured together.

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 5, showing a further step of securing the tabs at the otherend of the carrier.

FIGURE 7 is a cross-section along the line 77 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-section along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a diagrammatic view of a merchandising method according to this invention.

A carton according to this invention may be made from a single homogeneous blank of the character shown in. FIGURES 1 and 2. In FIGURE 2, and in the lower blank shown in FIGURE 1, the carton blank may have a can end covering first wall 10 which has an integral gluing portion on one side. Such gluing portion may be in the form of a gluing tab 12 on one side of the wall 10. Integral, opposed, relatively narrow and fractional length (compared to the height of the carrier), first and

second end tabs

14 and 16 are provided on wall 10. These

end tabs

14 and 16 may be provided with first and second mechanical fastening means formed respectively near the end. Such fastening means may take the form of finger receiving holes 18' and 20, which holesmaybe formed by cutting the

sides

21, 22, and 223 and scoring the sides 24 of both holes 18 and 24). This produces a tongue 26, FIGURE 8, the function of which is elsewhere described.

The

tabs

14 and 16 may have

bases

28 and 30 at opposite ends of wall 10 Where these bases may be scored at 32 and 34 so the tabs may be bent at their bases at right angle to the wall 10 as will become apparent.

The distance of the

bases

28 and 34 from each other is shorter than the combined diameter length of two parallel rows of

cans

36 and 38, which are to be placed in the carton with the can ends 40 covered by the first wall .10 to cause the

end cans

36a and 38a of the

rows

36 and 38 to straddle the

bases

28 and 34 of the

tabs

14 and 16 in a manner to cause these bases to be placed inside. of the outermost parts of the

cans

36a and 38a, as is clearly apparent in FIGURE 6.

An integral, can side covering, second wall 42 is integrally connected to the wall It at the score line 4.4, at which score line it is to be bent at right angles to the first Wall 10 when the carton is erected. Said second wall 42 is mainly of less length vthan the first wall 10, for the purpose of more efficiently displaying the printing and literature on the sides of the

end cans

38a and 36a at the corners of the car-ton, as is evident in FIGURE 6.

An integral, can covering, third wall 46 is integrally connected to the second wall 42 at the score line 48, at which score line it may be bent at right angles to said second wall 42 when the canton is erected. The third wall 46 may be substantially of the same length asthe first wall 10. The wall 46 may have integral, opposed, relatively narrow, fractional length (compared to the height of the carrier) third and

fourth end tabs

50 and 52 with mechanical third and fourth fastening means 54 and 56 which may take the form of fingers to enter

theholes

18 and 20 to fasten the carton together after the cans have been inserted in the carton, as shown in FIGURE 6. These

fingers

54 and 56 may be scored along the

lines

57, 58 and 59, FIGURE 2, and may be cut at 60 and 61 to form triangular ears 62 to aid in retaining the fingers in the holes 118 and 20' after the carton has been packed. The

tabs

50 and 52 may have

bases

64 and 66 substantially similar to

bases

28 and 30, and may be scored at 68 and 70 so they may be bent at right angles to the third wall '46 substantially in the same manner as

tabs

14 and 16. The

bases

64 and 66 may be substantially the same distance apart as the bases 28 and 3t) and the

end tabs

50 and 52 may be bent at right angles to the wall 46, when the carton is erected to receive the can. Finger holes 72 may be made in the Wall 46 directly over vacancies between the cans for carrying or moving the carrier.

An integral, can side covering, fourth wall 74, being mainly of less length than the third wall 46, is integrally connected at the score line 76 to the wall 46 where it may be bent at right angles to the Wall 46 when the carton is erected. The portion 78 near the edge 82 of the fourth wall 74 may be glued to the gluing portion or tab 12, as shown in FIGURE 3 in a manner elsewhere described.

The first and second fastening means or

holes

18 and 20 are engaged respectively with the third and fourth fastening means 54 and 56 by the insertion of the fastening means or

fingers

54 and 56 in the

holes

18 and 20 after the carton has been erected and the rows of

cans

36 and 38 have been inserted into the carton.

FIGURE 3 shows the fiat glued and folded carton blank or tube which may be glued and folded at the carrier manufacturing establishment and which may be shipped in quantities to the can packaging establishment. The flat carton blank or tube of FIGURE 3 may be erected, as shown in FIGURE 4, at the can packaging establishment without the use of any gluing equipment, thus eliminating the buying and storing of glue and cumbersome cleaning and maintaining materials for the gluing equipment. This construction also eliminates space requirements which would otherwise be necessary at the can packaging establishment for compression chambers to hold the carriers together while the glue sets.

FIGURE 3 shows the first wall 10 in an upper position and this blank has been turned end to end and erected, in FIGURE 4, so that the first wall 10 is at the bottom and the

walls

10, 42, 46, and 74, have been erected at right angles to each other respectively with a fold being produced at the score line 80, FIGURE 2, and along the edge 82 of the side portion 78 of wall 7 4. The other longitudinal folds of the carton of FIGURE 4 are produced at the

score lines

44, 48, and 76 of FIGURE 2. At the carrier manufacturing establishment the gluing portion or tab 12 is glued at the edge portion 78 of the Wall 74, so that the

lines

82 and 80 substantially coincide in FIGURE 4.

After the carton blank has been erected as shown in FIGURE 4, two rows of

cans

36 and 38, FIGURE 5, are inserted in parallel relationship within the carton, with the ends of the cans being covered by the

walls

10 and 46 and with the sides of the cans being covered by the

walls

42 and 74. If desired, the

end tabs

14 and 50 may be secured together before the insertion of the cans or immediately after the insertion of the cans. These

tabs

14 and 50 are behind FIGURE and cannot therefore be seen. After the rows of cans have been inserted, the

tabs

16 and 52 may be folded substantially at right angles to the walls and 46 and may be secured together by any desired fastening means, such as heretofore initially described, and more fully shown in FIGURES 7 and 8.

FIGURES 7 and 8 are representative of the fastening procedure between the finger 56 and hole and the finger 54 and the hole 18. As applied to the finger 56 and the hole 20, the triangular ears 62 of the finger 56 are folded temporarily along the lines 58 and 59 so the finger 56 may be inserted into the hole 20. Thereafter these ears 62 spring out and tend to hold the finger 56 locked in the hole 20. At the same time, when the finger 56 is being inserted in the hole 20, the tongue 26 of hole 20 is pushed inward toward the center of the carton and holds the finger 56, in folded condition as shown in FIGURE 8,

This type of construction lends itself to automatic machinery, and requires no gluing operation. Any other fastening construction or means may be used preferably of the character which does not require cumbersome gluing equipment.

The first Wall 10 is shorter near its edges 44 and than at its center where the

tabs

14 and 16 are connected. This difference in length is produced by the slanting end edges and cooperate with the entire carton construction to produce a pleasing exposure of the cans at the corners of the carton.

Likewise the third wall 36 is shorter near its

edges

48 and 76 than at its center where the

tabs

50 and 52 are connected. This likewise is accomplished by the slanting edges 92, which likewise cooperate with the entire carton to expose the cans at the corners of the carton.

The second wall 42 is shorter near its center than at its

edges

44 and 48. This is accomplished by providing the slanting edges 94 and the narrowing cut portions 96 This likewise enhances the pleasing exposure of the cans.

The fourth wall 74 likewise is shorter near its center than at its

edges

76 and 82. This is accomplished by the slanting edge portions 98 which are joined by the narrowing cuts .100, likewise to cooperate to produce the pleasing exposure of the cans at the corners of the carton.

The entire blank shown in FIGURE 2 may be, for example, approximately 2l inches long from the outer edge of gluing tab 12 to line 82. The blank may be approximately 13% inches between the outer edges of the

tabs

14 and 16. Other parts of the blank may be of a size substantially in the proportions shown in the dIHJW- ings. The blank may be made of any material of suitable strength and other required characteristics. One material which may be used is paperboard known as solid 22 point kraft, but other desired boards may be used. Also laminations of aluminum foil and paperboard or the like may be used, if desired.

The blanks, such as shown in FIGURE 2, may be cut from a homogeneous sheet of material 110, FIGURE 1. The central axes 1'12 and 114, etc. may be substantially parallel to each other. The

end tabs

16 and 52 of

walls

10 and 46 of one blank 116 may be respectively adjacent to the

walls

74 and 48 of an adjacent parallel blank 118. The blank 116 may have its first wall 10 at its left side, in FIGURE 1, whereas the adjacent blank 118 may have its first wall 10 on its right side, and this end to end variation may continue up FIGURE 1 transversely to the blanks. The longitudinal rows continue with the order of the walls being maintained the same Within each longitudinal row. For example, Wall 74a is at the right of blank 120 in a manner corresponding to wall 74 of the longitudinally aligned blank 116. Likewise wall 10a of blank 122 is at the right in a manner to correspond to wall 10 of the longitudinally aligned blank 118.

With the

tabs

14, 16, 50 and 52 dovetailing as shown in FIGURE 1, 4 blanks may be nested across in a Web for a web width of about 39%; inches, with a longitudinal feed up of the length of the blanks, such as 21 inches.

With these features the gross area of a blank according to this invention plus scrap is approximately 212.4 sq. in. compared to 238.1 sq. in. for a well known carrier of similar capacity but different construction which is now on the market. Also the net area of the blank of this invention is approximately 152.6 sq. in. compared to 231.7 sq. in. for the said well known carrier. This represents a saving of approximately 34% in weight, or about a 53 pound saving per thousand carriers in shipping weight.

The canirer may have any desired number of cans in each row, such as 2, 3, 4, etc., cans per row.

Extra end tabs may be provided to construct carriers to receive more than two rows of cans, if desired.

The fastening means at the end tabs may be varied as desired, and may be made tamper proof if desired.

Referring to FIGURE 9, the raw materials 102 for forming the canton carriers is transported along 103 into the carrier manufacturing establishment 104. Here the raw material .102 is operated upon with specialized cutting and folding machinery and with specialized gluing equipment, so that blanks or tubes 106 of the character shown in FIGURE 3 are produced and transported along 107 in quantities to a can packaging establishment 108. Here the blanks or tubes 106 are erected into partially formed carriers with open ends, as shown in FIGURE 4. This may be accomplished manually or automatically and without the use of any gluing equipment or folding equipment. The carrier tubes are erected to receive rows of cans at one or both open ends, as shown in FIGURE 5. The ends or

tabs

14, 16, 50 and 52 are folded and mechanically locked at the ends of the partially formed carriers at proper times to retain the cans within the carriers. In this manner the specialized machinery necessary for cutting, folding, and gluing may be concentrated at the carrier manufacturing establishment 104 where it can be used for maximum production and efficiency and where it can produce these fiat, glued blanks efficiently and at low cost. The blanks are transported to the can packaging establishment 108 where the blanks or tubes 1% may be erected, loaded with cans, and closed at the ends without the necessity of having any cumbersome gluing equipment and Without requiring any glue drying and storage equipment which otherwise would be necessary at an establishment where such equipment is undesirable, ineificient and relatively expensive.

It is thus to be seen that a very efficient, strong, and attractive carrier is provided. An improved carrier blank is also provided which permits saving of material, labor and equipment cost. The merchandising method made possible by this invention is very eificient and avoids duplications of labor and equipment.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed in accordance with the requirement of the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a plurality of rows of cylindrical cans, and a carton made from a single homogeneous blank and surrounding said cans, said carton comprising: a can end covering first wall having an integral, short, gluing tab on one side and integral, opposed, relatively narrow, fractional length, first and second end tabs with mechanical first and second fastening means formed respectively near their ends, said end tabs being bent at their bases at angles greater than right angles to said first wall at a distance from each other which is shorter than the combined diameter lengths of two adjacent parallel rows of said cylindrical cans with the can ends covered by said first wall to cause the end cans of said rows to straddle said bases of said tabs, said first and second end tabes being narrower at their bases than at their ends; an integral, can side covering, second wall bent at right angles to the other side of said first wall, said second wall being mainly of less length than said first Wall; an integral, can end covering, third wall bent at right angles to said second wall and being substantially of the same length as said first wall and having integral, opposed, relatively narrow, fractional length, third and fourth end tabs with mechanical third and fourth fastening means formed respectively near their ends, said third and fourth tabs being bent at their bases at angles greater than right angles to said third Wall substantially the same distance apart as said first and second end tabs, said third and fourth end tabs being narrower at their bases than at their ends; an integral, can side covering, fourth wall bent at right angles to said third wall, said fourth wall being mainly of less length than said third wall, a portion near the edge of said fourth wall being glued to said gluing tab, said first and second fastening means being fastened respectively to said third and fourth fastening means to cause said end tabs to engage'said cans to hold saidcans' in said carton. 2. A carton according toclaim '1 in whichone-pair of said end tabs has finger receiving holes therein and the other pair of end tabs has fingers to entersaid holes-to a scored tongue attached 'to an edge of each respective hole, and the other pair of 'end tabs has scored fingers each attached to the respective end of each of saidlast named pair of end tabs, said fingers being bendable and insertable into said holes and being locked in place 'by bending of said tongues.

4. In combination, a plurality of rows of cylindrical cans, and a carton made from a single homogeneous-blank and surrounding said cans, said carton comprising: a first wall having an integral gluing portion-on one side and integral, opposed, relatively narrow, fractionallength, first and second end tabs withmechanical first'and second fastening means formed respectivelynear their ends, said end tabs being bent at their bases at angles greater than right angles to said first wall at a distance from eachother which is shorter than the combined diameter lengths of two adjacent parallel rows of said cylindrical cans, said first and second end tabs being narrower at their bases than at their ends; an integral second wall bent at right angles to the other side of said first Wall, said second wall being mainly of less length than said first wall; an integral third wall bent from said second wall and'bei-ng substantially of the same length as said first wall and having integral, opposed, relatively narrow, fractional length, third and fourth end tabs with mechanical third and fourth fastening means formed respectively near their ends, said third and fourth tabs being bent at their bases at angles greater than right angles to said third wall substantially the same distance apart as said first and second end tabs, said third and fourth end tabs being narrower at their bases than at their ends; an integral fourth wall bent at right angles to said third wall, said fourth wall being of less length than said third wall, a portion near the edge of said fourth side wall being glued to said gluing portion of said first wall, said first and second fastening means being fastened respectively to said third and fourth fastening means to cause said end tabs to engage said cans and hold said cans in said carton.

5. A carton according to claim 4 in which one of said end walls has finger receiving holes therein and the other end wall has fingers to enter said holes.

6. A carton according to claim 4 in which said first wall is shorter near its edges than at its center.

7. A carton according to claim 4 in which said third wall is shorter near its edges than at its center.

8. A carton according to claim 4 in which said second Wall is shorter near its center than at its edges.

9. A carton according to claim 4 in which said fourth wall is shorter near its center than at its edges.

10. In combination, a plurality of rows of cylindrical cans, and a carton made from a single homogeneous blank and surrounding said cans, said carton comprising: a can end covering first wall having an integral gluing portion on one side and integral, opposed, relatively narrow, fractional length, first and second end tabs with mechanical first and second fastening means formed respectively near their ends, said end tabs being bent at their bases at angles greater than right angles to said first wall at a distance from each other which is shorter than the combined diameter lengths of two adjacent parallel rows of cylindrical cans with the can ends covered by said first wall to cause the end cans of said rows to straddle said bases of said tabs, said first and second end tabs being narrower at their bases than at their ends; an integral can side covering, second wall at right angles to the other side of said first wall, said side wall being mainly of less length than said first wall; an integral, can end covering, third Wall bent at right angles to said second wall and being substantially of the same length as said first wall and having integral, opposed, relatively narrow, fractional length, third and fourth end tabs with mechanical third and fourth fastening means formed respectively near their ends, said third and fourth tabs being bent at their bases at angles greater than right angles to said third wall substantially the same distance apart as said first and second end tabs, said third and fourth end tabs being narrower at their bases than at their ends; an integral can side covering, fourth wall bent at right angles to said third wall, said fourth wall being mainly of less length than said third wall, a portion near the edge of said fourth wall being glued to said gluing portion of said first wall, said first and second fastening means being fastened respectively to said third and fourth fastening means to cause said end tabs to engage said cans and hold said cans in said car-ton.

11. A carton according to claim 10 in which one pair of said end tabs has finger receiving holes therein and the other pair of end tabs has fingers to enter said holes to form said fastening means.

12. A carton comprising: a can end covering first wall having a pair of fractional length, first and second tabs disposed at their bases at obtuse angles relative to the inside surface of said first wall, said first and second tabs being narrower at their bases than at their free ends; a can side covering second wall disposed at right angles to said first wall; a can end covering third wall disposed at right angles to said second wall and having a pair of fractional length, third and fourth end tabs disposed at their bases at obtuse angles relative to the inside surface of said third wall, said third and fourth tabs being narrower at their bases than at their free ends; and a can side covering fourth wall disposed at right angles to said can end covering first and third walls, said first and second end tabs being secured respectively to said third and fourth end tabs.

13. A carton comprising: a pair of can end covering first and third walls disposed spaced from each other and respectively having pairs of opposed end edges, a pair of spaced can side covering second and fourth Walls interconnecting said first and third Walls together, and a pair of end tab means respectively secured at obtuse angles to adjacent pairs of said edge means of said first and third walls, each of said tab means having intermediate portions thereof disposed out-board of planes passing through the adjacent edge means of said first and third walls, each of said tab means being wider at the intermediate portion thereof than at the edge portions thereof respectively secured to the edge means of said first and third walls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,028,678 Lupton Jan. 21, 1936 2,313,731 Brogden Mar. 16, 1943 2,359,297 Brogden Oct. 3, 1944 2,554,190 Hennessey May 22, 1951 2,667,297 McReary Jan. 26, 1954 2,795,365 Currie June 11, 1957 2,899,123 Currie 2. Aug. 11, 1959

Claims

1. IN COMBINATION, A PLURALITY OF ROWS OF CYLINDRICAL CANS, AND A CORTON MADE FROM A SINGLE HOMOGENEOUS BLANK AND SURROUNDING SAID CANS, SAID CORTON COMPRISING: A CAN END COVERING FIRST WALL HAVING AN INTEGRAL, SHORT, GLUING TAB ON ONE SIDE AND INTEGRAL, OPPOSED RELATIVELY NARROW, FRACTIONAL LENGTH, FIRST AND SECOND END TABS WITH MECHANICAL FIRST AND SECOND FASTENING MEANS FORMED RESPECTIVELY NEAR THEIR ENDS TABS BEING BENT AT THEIR BASES AT ANGELS GREATED THAN RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID FIRST WALL AT A DISTANCE FROM EACH OTHER WHICH IS SHORTER THAN THE COMBINED DIAMETER LENGTHS OF TWO ADJACENT PARALLEL ROWS OF SAID CYLINDRICAL CANS WITH THE CAN ENDS COVERED BY SAID FIRST WALL TO CAUSE THE END CANS OF SAID ROWS TO STRADDLE SAID BASES OF SAID TABS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND END TABS BEING NARROWER AT THEIR BASES THAN AT THEIR ENDS; AN INTEGRAL, CAN SIDE COVERING, SECOND WALL BENT AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID FIRST WALL, SAID SECOND WALL BEING MAINLY OF LESS LENGTH THAN SAID FIRST WALL; AN INTEGRAL CAN END COVERING, THIRD WALL BENT AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID SECOND WALL AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY OF THE SAME LENGTHAID AS SAID FIRST WALL AND HAVING INTEGRAL, OPPOSED, RELATIVELY NARROW, FRACTIONAL LENGTH, THIRD AND FOURTH END TABS WITH MECHANICAL THIRD AND FOURTH FASTENING MEANS FORMED RESPECTIVELY NEAR THEIR ENDS, SAID THIRD AND FOURHT TABS BEING BENT AT THEIR BASES AT ANGLES GREATER THAN RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID THIRD WALL SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME DISTANCE APART AS SAID FIRST SECOND END TABS, SAID THIRD AND FOURTH END TABS BEING NARROWER AT THEIR BASES THAN AT THEIR ENDS; AN INTEGRAL, CAN SIDE COVERING, FOURTH WALL BENT AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID THIRD WALL, SAID FOURTH WALL BEING MAINLY OF LESS LENGTH THAN SID THIRD WALL, A PORION NEAR THE EDGE OF SAID FOURTH WALL BEING GLUED TO SAID GLUING TAB, SAID FIRST AND SECOND FASTENING MEANS BEING FASTENED RESPECTIVELY TO SAID THIRD AND FOURTH FASTENING MEANS TO CAUSE SAID END TABS TO ENGAGE SAID CANS TO HOLD SAID CANS IN SAID CARTON.